Skip to Main Content

Evaluate Information Sources

Tips on evaluating the sources you find in your research.

SIFT Method

STOP: It's easy to click that first link from a Google Search, but we have to read carefully even at the title and URL level to determine if we can use a source.

INVESTIGATE: Scan the entirety of the source to get a sense for the content and quality. Is this source well-written, or does it contain grammatical and syntactical errors? Is the font unusual? If it is online, does the source have a lot of pop-ups, or built in advertisements? Does the source include references or supporting sources or links? NOW, check out the publication and the author. Do they have the reputation and credentials to improve your argument?

FIND BETTER COVERAGE: You may have found the best of the best sources on your topic, but you should always dig deeper. The only way you'll know for sure if you have the best, is to review multiple sources. Is there a time stamp on your source? Can you find a source that was produced after that has more, new details and information? Can you find a source that is better-written, or published and written by more reliable resources?

TRACE CLAIMS: A claim is an argument or position that supports the main thesis or point of an information source. Try not to mistake 'claims' for 'statements' of fact, which are easily verifiable. Claims can be distorted, so it's important to find additional source materials that back up the claims you're reading. This is also a good way to collect additional sources!

Claim vs. Statement of Fact

FACT: In 2017, the average Georgian had a 28.8 minute commute to work.

This is a fact reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.

OPINION: Georgian's are lucky to have such a short commute to get to work.

According to? To verify this statement, we would have to conduct research where all participants are commuters living in Georgia, and the majority of respondents think both that they are lucky, and that their commute is 'short'.

CLAIM: According to Georgia teenagers, it's easier to get a driver's license in Georgia than it is in Maryland.

I would have to investigate this by learning the requirements for acquiring a permit in each state. I might also conduct a search for 'easiest state to get a drivers license or learner's permit to see if any such studies have been conducted. I could then make a determination about the claims accuracy.

Last Updated: Sep 4, 2025 4:13 PM
URL: https://libraryguides.goucher.edu/evaluate
Print Page

Subjects: Research Tools and Strategies

Goucher College Library, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204 • 410-337-6360 • © 2013-2017 •
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.